On-street parking charges proposes

MOTORISTS will have to pay to park just about everywhere on Lewes streets under far-reaching proposals being discussed by East Sussex County Council.

And that includes local residents with cars.

There will be varying on-street parking charges and residents parking permits will be issued in zoned areas.

It is proposed that each household will be able to buy a maximum of two permits.

The first will cost about 50 a year and the second 75.

But the permits will only be valid for the particular zone in which the resident lives.

Outside of that zone, every resident will have to pay again to park on the street, as will all visitors.

The only areas excluded from zoning are the Landport, Nevill and Winterbourne estates and Malling beyond Church Lane.

Said a spokesman: People have been saying for years that they have trouble parking near their homes.

The zoned parking permits will allow them to do just that.

Easier

At the same time we hope to make parking easier in the town centre by making motorists pay to park at all times.

The on-street parking charges will vary from street to street but are expected to broadly follow the cost of parking in off-street car parks.

There could also be changes in the waiting time vehicles are allowed on various town centre streets.

For instance, the present two-hour parking on School Hill could be reduced to 15 minutes to achieve greater vehicle turn-over.

In short, everyone will have to pay to park in the streets of Lewes except when they park near their homes (for which they will have already paid an annual fee).

Exhibitions displaying maps showing the proposals will be running through October and November, with the end of November being the deadline for public comments.

The council will consider all these comments and, if it is decided to go ahead on revised proposals, there will be further consultation towards the middle of next year.

There will be two types of parking spaces marked out on roads one for residents only, and the second for any motorist.

Parking vouchers will be bought from local shops.

Free permits will be available to visiting health and care workers.

Present exemptions from parking restrictions for disabled drivers will remain, and they won t have to pay to park.

Lead transport cabinet member Cllr Anthony Reid said: Specialist transport consultants were appointed to help design the proposed controlled parking scheme with the aim of providing, safe, convenient and managed parking for residents near their homes, for shoppers near to the town centre and to allow businesses and organisations to go about their day-to-say business.

This will be a very wide consultation and we want to hear from everyone who might be affected.

It is likely that responsibility for enforcing the on-street parking will go to the county council and not the police.

And the level of enforcement will be much higher than it is at present.

Money from permit charges and fines will make the scheme self-financing, which is a condition demanded by Government.